THE FINAL TALLY: What to Expect When Democrats Vote on Neil Gorsuch

The Supreme Court nominee is widely viewed as qualified, but Democrats are blocking him from the Court…

By NTK Staff | 04.04.2017 @2:51pm

Every Democrat in the Senate has now announced how they plan to vote on the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court. Gorsuch’s actual confirmation vote requires only a simple majority – 51 votes.

But Democrats have pledged to filibuster Gorsuch’s nomination based on political reasons and they have the numbers to do so. Republicans are expected to override that filibuster by changing the rules for confirming Supreme Court nominees – a move known as “going nuclear.”

See below for the list of every Democrat (and one Independent) pledging to vote against Gorsuch. Three Democrats, Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) said they would vote to confirm Gorsuch:

The Yes’s

Joe Donnelly (D-IN): “I believe that he is a qualified jurist who will base his decisions on his understanding of the law is well-respected among his peers.”

Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND): “Regardless of which party is in the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court should be above politics.”

Joe Manchin (D-WV): “I hold no illusions that I will agree with every decision Judge Gorsuch may issue in the future, but I have not found any reasons why this jurist should not be a Supreme Court Justice.”

No To Filibuster

Michael Bennet (D-CO): “I will oppose efforts to filibuster the nomination, and strongly encourage my colleagues not to use the nuclear option.”

The No’s

Tammy Baldwin (D-WI): “President Trump and his nominee need to earn 60 votes in the Senate,” said Baldwin. “I will not be one of them.”

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): “[I]t is important that a nominee to the Supreme Court be approved by more than 60 votes, not a razor thin partisan majority. And that is why I will use the filibuster, if necessary, to oppose his nomination.”

Cory Booker (D-NJ): “Based on what I have read of his past rulings and statements, I believe that Judge Gorsuch’s interpretation of the Constitution falls far outside of the mainstream”

Sherrod Brown (D-OH): “The people of Ohio deserve Supreme Court Justices who will defend the rights of working families over Wall Street and corporate special interests – and Judge Gorsuch’s record doesn’t pass that test”

Maria Cantwell (D-WA): “While no on expects Judge Gorsuch to reveal how he would rule on particular cases, during his Senate confirmation hearing he did not give Senators enough background about his judicial philosophy.”

Ben Cardin (D-MD): “I do not believe that he would serve as an independent check on this president, who has tested the limits of the Constitution and the separation of powers in a way that no other modern president has done.”

Tom Carper (D-DE): “I am left with no other choice but to oppose Judge Gorsuch’s nomination until we find agreement on moving Judge Garland’s nomination forward at the same time.”

Bob Casey (D-PA): “I have concluded that Judge Gorsuch is not the right choice to fulfill this commitment. I will not support his nomination.”

Chris Coons (D-DE): “I have decided that I will not support Judge Gorsuch’s nomination in the Judiciary Committee today.”

Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV): “I remain concerned that his narrow view of the law will hurt the most vulnerable amongst us.”

Tammy Duckworth (D-IL): “In his four days of confirmation hearings, Judge Gorsuch did not show any ability to alleviate my concerns. I cannot vote to confirm him.”

Dick Durbin (D-IL): “I’ll vote no when his nomination comes before the committee next week. I will vote no on cloture, and I’ll oppose his nomination on the Senate on the Senate floor.”

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY): “I hope we do vote him down. But make no mistake: If we do hold the line with 60 votes, Mitch McConnell will change the rules the next day,” she added.

Kamala Harris (D-CA): “In short: Gorsuch has valued narrow legalisms over real lives. The just thing for us to do is prevent his nomination to the Supreme Court.”

Maggie Hassan (D-NH): “Judge Gorsuch is not in the mainstream. He has not shown a commitment to protecting the rights of all Americans, and he does not seem to always fully consider the consequences his decisions have on real lives.”

Patrick Leahy (D-VT): “I am not inclined to filibuster, even though I’m not inclined to vote for him.”

Ed Markey (D-MA): “We need a Supreme Court justice who will stand up for the rights of all Americans against big corporate interests, and Judge Neil Gorsuch’s record is proof that he not that justice.”

Claire McCaskill (D-MO): “I cannot support Judge Gorsuch because a study of his opinions reveal a rigid ideology that always puts the little guy under the boot of corporations.”

Bob Menendez (D-NJ): “I had hoped President Trump would nominate an uncontroversial, mainstream judge to the Supreme Court. Instead, he has chosen a nominee who, after long reflection and in hearing from my constituents, I cannot support.”

Jeff Merkley (D-OR): “This is a stolen seat being filled by an illegitimate and extreme nominee, and I will do everything in my power to stand up against this assault on the Court.”

Patty Murray (D-WA): “[Trump’s travel ban], coupled with the cloud of an FBI investigation into the president and his associates, has led me to the conclusion that … I cannot support moving forward with his choice for the Court.”

Bill Nelson (D-FL): “I will vote no on the motion to invoke cloture, and if that succeeds, I will vote no on his nomination.”

Gary Peters (D-MI): “After careful consideration of Judge Gorsuch’s comments and his record, I cannot support his nomination to serve on our nation’s highest court.”

Jack Reed (D-RI): “I believe he is a poor choice for the United States Supreme Court.”

Bernie Sanders (I-VT): “After careful consideration of Judge Gorsuch’s record, I have concluded that I will not vote to confirm him to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court”

Brian Schatz (D-HI): “Judge Gorsuch sides with corporations over people, so I will oppose him on cloture and final confirmation.”

Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “He will have to earn 60 votes for confirmation. My vote will be no, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): “I cannot support a Supreme Court justice who would turn back the clock on women’s reproductive rights.”

Debbie Stabenow (D-MI): “[Judge Gorsuch] does not meet this standard of balance and impartiality.”

Jon Tester (D-MT): “After meeting with Judge Gorsuch face-to-face, giving him a fair hearing, and reviewing his qualifications, I cannot support the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch.”

Tom Udall (D-NM): “I have met with Judge Gorsuch, followed the hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and studied his record, and decided that I can’t support his confirmation.”

Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): “While he is undoubtedly a skilled lawyer, his bias in favor of corporate power, coupled with his refusal to answer reasonable questions, lead me to conclude that he falls outside the judicial mainstream.”

Mark Warner (D-VA): “Despite his impressive academic credentials, Judge Gorsuch’s record and evasive responses … do not give me confidence that he possesses a judicial philosophy that will serve the American public well.”

Elizabeth Warren (D-MA): “Anyone who believes in a neutral Supreme Court guided by equal justice for all should oppose this nomination.”

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): “I came away dissatisfied … [and] am not in a position to vote for his confirmation.”

Ron Wyden (D-OR): “No Senator who believes that individual rights are reserved to the people, and not the government, can support this nomination.”